Does God hate anyone?
Malachi 1:2-3
2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob,
3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
Yes — Scripture says it plainly: God hates. “Yahweh examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence” (Psalm 11:5), and “You hate all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:5). Proverbs 6:16-19 is just as blunt — it lists “six things which Yahweh hates”: arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run to mischief, a false witness, and one who sows discord among brothers. There is no softening in the text: God is not neutral toward evil, and he is not neutral toward the evildoer in his evil.
But “Esau I hated” in Malachi 1:2-3 is about his choice, not an emotion of spite. In Malachi, “Esau” is not mainly the man — it is the nation Edom, his descendants (Genesis 36:9), whose land God “made a desolation” and gave “to the jackals of the wilderness,” a people he names “The Wicked Land, even the people against whom Yahweh shows wrath forever” (Malachi 1:2-4). That is God’s just judgment on a nation’s sin.
When Paul takes up the same line, he tells us exactly what it means. Before the twins had done “anything good or bad,” the purpose of God stood “not of works, but of him who calls,” so that it was said to Rebekah, “The elder will serve the younger” (Romans 9:11-12). Then he quotes Malachi: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:13). That is election language: “I set my covenant love on this one, and I passed over that one.” The same Hebrew verb שָׂנֵא (śānēʾ, H8130) carries that favored/unfavored weight elsewhere — in Genesis 29:31 “Leah was hated,” yet Jacob did not loathe her; he simply loved Rachel more. Deuteronomy 21:15-17 uses the same pair, “the beloved and the hated” wife, meaning the one favored and the one not favored. So “I hated Esau” means God chose Jacob for covenant love — “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3) — and passed over Esau and Edom.
None of this cancels God’s kindness toward the undeserving. Jesus points to his Father’s mercy: “he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Put it together:
- God hates the wicked in their wickedness, and hates sin itself (Psalm 5:5; 11:5; Proverbs 6:16-19).
- God chose Jacob and rejected Esau in his sovereign purpose — election, not personal spite (Romans 9:11-13).
- God still showers common kindness on all people, even the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
Scripture states without hesitation that God hates both wickedness and unrepentant evildoers who practice it. Yet the Bible also employs the language of hatred to express sovereign covenant election, contrasting the chosen with those who are passed over, while never extinguishing God's genuine universal kindness. Understanding biblical hatred requires seeing both God's holy wrath against sin and His sovereign freedom in distributing mercy.
Holy Opposition
God Hates the Wicked and Their Violence
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.
Psalms 11:5 (NIV)
This verse directly states that God's soul hates both the wicked person and anyone who loves violence.
In Psalm 11:5, Scripture speaks with startling clarity: the Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. This is not a human, erratic hatred born of spite, but the pure, settled revulsion of perfect holiness toward moral corruption. Modern readers often assume God detests only abstract sin while maintaining unconditional affection for the person committing it, yet Psalm 5:5 directly confronts that assumption, declaring that God hates all workers of iniquity. When human beings identify themselves completely with rebellion, God's righteous wrath stands opposed to them.
This holy abhorrence recurs throughout the Law and the Prophets. In Proverbs 6:16-19, seven specific realities are named as detestable to the Lord, culminating not merely in deeds like shedding innocent blood, but in the very person who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 3:32 and Proverbs 16:5 reiterate that the devious and the arrogant in heart are an abomination to Yahweh, while Deuteronomy 18:12 and Deuteronomy 25:16 apply the same grave verdict to occultists and fraudulent merchants. When Israel turned away to false gods at Gilgal, Hosea 9:15 recorded God's severe pronouncement: 'All their evil is in Gilgal, for there I hated them; because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house.' Just as God abhorred the Canaanite nations for their abominable customs in Leviticus 20:23, He warned His own people in Leviticus 26:30 that unrepentant idolatry would cause His soul to abhor them. In Psalm 73:20, the Lord awakes to judgment and despises the empty boastings of the ungodly. Christ Himself affirms this holy hatred in Revelation 2:6 and Revelation 2:15, praising those who hate the corrupt doctrines and practices of the Nicolaitans, which He likewise hates. God's holiness can never be neutral toward evil.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Psalms 5:5 | Declares that the boastful shall not stand in God's sight and that He hates all workers of iniquity. |
| Psalms 11:5 | Affirms that Yahweh tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the lover of violence. |
| Proverbs 6:16-19 | Lists seven things detestable to Yahweh, including arrogant eyes, murderous hands, and a person who sows discord. |
| Hosea 9:15 | Pronounces God's hatred toward rebellious Ephraim in Gilgal because of their wicked deeds, leading to their expulsion. |
| Leviticus 20:23 | States that God abhorred the Canaanite nations because they practiced abominable customs. |
| Leviticus 26:30 | Warns that persistent idolatry among the covenant people would cause God's soul to abhor them. |
| Proverbs 3:32 | The devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in His confidence. |
| Proverbs 16:5 | Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord and will not go unpunished. |
| Deuteronomy 18:12 | Whoever practices abominable occult arts is hated and detestable to the Lord. |
| Deuteronomy 25:16 | All who act dishonestly with unjust weights and measures are an abomination to the Lord. |
| Psalms 73:20 | When the Lord awakes to judgment, He despises the phantom form of the ungodly. |
| Revelation 2:6 | Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for hating the works of the Nicolaitans, which He also hates. |
| Revelation 2:15 | Jesus rebukes Pergamum for holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which He hates. |
Sovereign Election
The Hatred of Rejection and Passing Over
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
Malachi 1:2-3 (NIV)
The prophetic contrast between loving Jacob and hating Esau illustrates sovereign covenant choice worked out in history.
The Prophet Malachi opens with an arresting divine declaration: 'I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated' (Malachi 1:2-3). To modern ears, such language sounds harsh, but in the context of redemptive history, it addresses God's sovereign covenant choice. God demonstrated His love by preserving Jacob's lineage and giving them the covenant promise, whereas Esau was passed over and Edom's mountainous heritage was left to desolation. In Romans 9:10-13, the Apostle Paul takes up this exact text to show that God's electing purpose does not depend on human works or merit, but entirely on Him who calls; before the twins were even born or had done anything good or bad, God established His choosing.
Scripture frequently uses the Hebrew idiom of hatred to denote rejection, being passed over, or being loved comparatively less. In Genesis 29:31, when the text states that Leah was 'hated,' it immediately clarifies the idiom by showing she was simply loved less than Rachel. Deuteronomy 21:15-17 addresses the inheritance rights of a firstborn son when a man has two wives, 'one loved and the other unloved'—using the same root word to distinguish between preference and non-preference. Jesus employed this identical Semitic idiom in Luke 14:26, insisting that anyone coming after Him must 'hate' his father, mother, wife, and even his own life, demanding total, undivided allegiance over every earthly tie. In John 12:25, whoever hates his life in this fleeting world preserves it for eternity. Paul draws the ultimate conclusion in Romans 9:21-23, asking whether the potter lacks authority over the clay to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonorable use, demonstrating that God possesses the sovereign right to grant mercy to whom He wills.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Malachi 1:2-3 | Contrasts God's love for Jacob with His hatred of Esau, evidenced in laying waste Edom's heritage. |
| Romans 9:10-13 | Applies the loving of Jacob and hating of Esau to God's sovereign unconditional election before birth. |
| Genesis 29:31 | Demonstrates the semitic idiom of hatred meaning loved less, as Leah was described as hated compared to Rachel. |
| Deuteronomy 21:15-17 | Regulates inheritance laws regarding children born of two wives, one loved and the other unloved or hated. |
| Luke 14:26 | Uses hate in the relative sense of supreme allegiance, demanding disciples love Christ far above family. |
| John 12:25 | Whoever loves his life loses it, but whoever hates his life in this world keeps it. |
| Romans 9:21-23 | The potter possesses authority over the clay to prepare vessels of wrath alongside vessels of mercy. |
Covenant Love
Jacob Chosen and Loved by Grace Alone
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (NIV)
Shows that God's special, redeeming love is rooted entirely in His sovereign grace rather than human merit.
In Deuteronomy 7:6-8, Moses pulls back the curtain on why Israel received the covenant promises: 'The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples... but it was because the Lord loved you.' God’s covenant love is unearned, unconditional, and entirely rooted in His sovereign character. Israel had no inherent grandeur, moral perfection, or military might to compel God's allegiance. Instead, His redeeming love flowed from His own grace, binding Himself by solemn oath to the patriarchs.
Moses drove this reality home repeatedly across the wilderness wanderings. Deuteronomy 4:37 notes that because Yahweh loved the fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought them out of Egypt by His mighty presence. In Deuteronomy 10:15, Israel was reminded that although the highest heavens belong to the Lord, He chose to set His affection upon their ancestors alone out of all the nations of the earth. Centuries later, during times of national unfaithfulness and exile, this election remained the bedrock of hope. Through Jeremiah 31:3, God spoke tender comfort to a battered remnant: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.' Isaiah 41:8-9 confirmed that Israel remained the servant chosen by Yahweh, the offspring of Abraham His friend, plucked from the ends of the earth and assured that God had not cast them off. This specialized covenant affection is distinctive: God sets His saving devotion upon His chosen people purely because He resolves to be faithful to His promises.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Deuteronomy 4:37 | Affirms that God chose the descendants of the patriarchs because He loved their fathers. |
| Deuteronomy 7:6-8 | Explains that Israel was chosen as a holy people not for their size, but because Yahweh loved them. |
| Deuteronomy 10:15 | Recounts that Yahweh set His affection on the fathers to love them and chose their offspring above all. |
| Jeremiah 31:3 | Promises Israel an everlasting covenant love through which God draws them with enduring lovingkindness. |
| Isaiah 41:8-9 | Addresses Israel as the servant chosen by Yahweh, the offspring of Abraham His friend. |
Universal Mercy
Benevolence and Kindness toward Every Creature
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV)
Reveals that the Father actively bestows common providential blessings upon both the wicked and the just.
In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus delivers a revolutionary command: 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.' Even while holy wrath stands opposed to wickedness and sovereign election marks out His covenant people, God showers genuine providential goodness upon every creature. The warmth of the sun and the nourishment of the rain are unmistakable tokens of divine benevolence extended daily to those who actively defy Him.
Christ reiterates this profound kindness in Luke 6:35, reminding disciples that the Most High is kind even to ungrateful and evil people. Psalm 145:9 proclaims that the Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies cover all His works. Acts 14:17 confirms that God never leaves Himself without witness, continuously doing good by granting rains from heaven, fruitful seasons, and filling human hearts with food and gladness. Furthermore, God's disposition toward lost sinners is not one of callous indifference. In Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 33:11, Yahweh takes an oath affirming that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires that they turn from their evil way and live. First Timothy 2:3-4 declares that God desires all people to be saved, and 2 Peter 3:9 reminds believers that the Lord is patient, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This universal benevolence reached its supreme expression at Calvary: John 3:16 records that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and Romans 5:8 testifies that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Matthew 5:44-45 | Commands love for enemies because God gives His sun and rain to the evil and the good alike. |
| Luke 6:35 | Declares that the Most High is kind to the ungrateful and evil, modelling mercy for His children. |
| Psalms 145:9 | Celebrates that Yahweh is good to all and that His tender mercies are over all His works. |
| Ezekiel 18:23 | Asserts that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, desiring rather their repentance. |
| Ezekiel 33:11 | Affirms by oath that the Lord God has no delight in the death of the wicked. |
| 1 Timothy 2:3-4 | States that God our Savior desires all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of truth. |
| John 3:16 | God loved the world in this manner: He gave His only Son so whoever believes will not perish. |
| Romans 5:8 | God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
| 2 Peter 3:9 | The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. |
| Acts 14:17 | God did not leave Himself without witness, doing good by giving rains, fruitful seasons, and gladness to all nations. |
Hated Practices
The Holy God Detests Hypocrisy, Idolatry, and Injustice
do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.
Zechariah 8:17 (NIV)
It shows God's moral hatred directed against deceptive inward plotting and oath-breaking.
In Zechariah 8:17, God declares His pure moral revulsion toward deceit and malice: 'let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love a false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord.' Scripture leaves no doubt that God's holy character recoils with intense hatred against every form of idolatry, injustice, and hollow religious ritual. From the beginning of Israel's national life, Moses warned that God hates the brutal practices of the nations, especially child sacrifice in Deuteronomy 12:31, and prohibited pagan sacred pillars in Deuteronomy 16:22, which distort the true worship of the invisible, transcendent Creator.
Yet God's hatred burns just as fiercely against religious hypocrisy among His own covenant people. Through the prophet in Isaiah 1:14, the Lord declares that His very soul hates their appointed feasts and new moons because hands stained with oppression cannot offer pleasing worship. True religion cannot be separated from moral integrity; as Isaiah 61:8 affirms, 'I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrong.' This was the persistent message delivered through His servants, as Jeremiah 44:4 records God persistently pleading with Judah to turn from the abominable practices He detests.
The minor prophets sound this exact alarm with unsparing clarity. In Amos 5:21, God proclaims that He hates and despises formal solemn assemblies when justice does not roll down like waters, and in Amos 6:8, the Lord swears by Himself that He abhors the pride of Jacob and hates his palaces. Finally, in Malachi 2:16, God states that He hates divorce and violent covenant-breaking. Taken together, these passages demonstrate that God's hatred is never arbitrary, capricious, or petty; it is the necessary and righteous reaction of absolute holiness against everything that destroys human life and defies divine truth.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Deuteronomy 12:31 | Israel must not worship the Lord like nations whose abominable acts of burning their children He hates. |
| Deuteronomy 16:22 | Israel shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the Lord your God hates. |
| Isaiah 1:14 | The Lord's soul hates hypocritical new moon festivals and appointed feasts loaded with iniquity. |
| Isaiah 61:8 | The Lord loves justice and declares that He hates robbery and wrong in offerings. |
| Jeremiah 44:4 | God repeatedly sent prophets urging the people not to commit this abominable thing that He hates. |
| Amos 5:21 | The Lord hates and despises formal feasts and assemblies offered without genuine righteousness. |
| Amos 6:8 | The Lord God has sworn by Himself that He abhors the pride of Jacob and hates his strongholds. |
| Zechariah 8:17 | God commands His people not to devise evil or love false oaths, for all these He hates. |
| Malachi 2:16 | The Lord God of Israel states that He hates divorce and covering one's garment with violence. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 29:31 |
| Leviticus | 2 · Leviticus 20:23, Leviticus 26:30 |
| Deuteronomy | 8 · Deuteronomy 18:12, Deuteronomy 25:16, Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Deuteronomy 4:37, Deuteronomy 7:6-8, Deuteronomy 10:15, Deuteronomy 12:31, Deuteronomy 16:22 |
| Psalms | 4 · Psalms 5:5, Psalms 11:5, Psalms 73:20, Psalms 145:9 |
| Proverbs | 3 · Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 3:32, Proverbs 16:5 |
| Isaiah | 3 · Isaiah 41:8-9, Isaiah 1:14, Isaiah 61:8 |
| Jeremiah | 2 · Jeremiah 31:3, Jeremiah 44:4 |
| Ezekiel | 2 · Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 33:11 |
| Hosea | 1 · Hosea 9:15 |
| Amos | 2 · Amos 5:21, Amos 6:8 |
| Zechariah | 1 · Zechariah 8:17 |
| Malachi | 2 · Malachi 1:2-3, Malachi 2:16 |
| Matthew | 1 · Matthew 5:44-45 |
| Luke | 2 · Luke 14:26, Luke 6:35 |
| John | 2 · John 12:25, John 3:16 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 14:17 |
| Romans | 3 · Romans 9:10-13, Romans 9:21-23, Romans 5:8 |
| 1 Timothy | 1 · 1 Timothy 2:3-4 |
| 2 Peter | 1 · 2 Peter 3:9 |
| Revelation | 2 · Revelation 2:6, Revelation 2:15 |
The story in order
- Creation and Fall (c. 4000 BC) · Genesis 29:31 · Early expressions of differing affections, setting a pattern for later covenantal distinctions.
- Patriarchal Covenant (c. 2000 BC) · Deuteronomy 4:37 · God chose Israel's fathers out of love, establishing a unique covenant relationship.
- Exodus and Law (c. 1450 BC) · Leviticus 20:23 · God's hatred for the abominable practices of the Canaanites, contrasting with His chosen people.
- Conquest and Judges (c. 1400-1050 BC) · Judges 10:13 · Israel's turning to other gods is met with God's hatred and judgment.
- United Monarchy (c. 1000 BC) · Psalms 5:5 · David declares God hates all workers of iniquity and the boastful.
- Divided Kingdom (c. 750 BC) · Hosea 9:15 · God's hatred pronounced on rebellious Ephraim due to their wicked deeds.
- Assyrian Exile (c. 760 BC) · Amos 5:21 · God despises hypocritical worship and formal feasts without righteousness.
- Babylonian Exile (c. 600 BC) · Jeremiah 44:4 · God's repeated warnings against abominable practices that He hates.
- Return and Rebuilding (c. 500 BC) · Zechariah 8:17 · God commands His people to hate evil thoughts and false oaths.
- Prophetic Contrast (c. 450 BC) · Malachi 1:2-3 · God's love for Jacob contrasted with His hatred for Esau.
- Jesus' Ministry (AD 30) · Luke 14:26 · Jesus uses 'hate' in a relative sense for supreme allegiance to Him.
- Apostolic Church (c. AD 95) · Revelation 2:6 · Jesus commends the Ephesian church for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans.
God's Hatred of Wickedness
| What God Hates | Description | Consequence/Context | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workers of iniquity | Those who practice evil | God's soul hates them (Psalms 11:5) | Psalms 11:5 |
| Arrogant eyes, murderous hands, sowers of discord | Detestable actions | Seven things an abomination to Yahweh (Proverbs 6:16-19) | Proverbs 6:16-19 |
| Abominable occult arts | Practices detestable to the Lord | Hated and detestable (Deuteronomy 18:12) | Deuteronomy 18:12 |
| Robbery and wrong in offerings | Injustice and violence | The Lord hates these (Isaiah 61:8) | Isaiah 61:8 |
| Divorce and violence | Breaking covenant and causing harm | The Lord God of Israel hates it (Malachi 2:16) | Malachi 2:16 |
| Works of the Nicolaitans | False teachings and practices | Jesus also hates them (Revelation 2:6) | Revelation 2:6 |
Sovereign Election: Love and Hate
| Chosen/Loved | Rejected/Hated | Biblical Basis | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob | Esau | Malachi 1:2-3 | Malachi 1:2-3 |
| Jacob | Esau | Romans 9:10-13 | Romans 9:10-13 |
| Rachel | Leah (loved less) | Genesis 29:31 | Genesis 29:31 |
| Loved wife | Unloved/Hated wife | Deuteronomy 21:15-17 | Deuteronomy 21:15-17 |
God's Universal Kindness vs. Human Wickedness
| God's Action | Recipients | Purpose/Nature | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gives His sun and rain | Evil and good | Demonstrates His universal kindness (Matthew 5:44-45) | Matthew 5:44-45 |
| Is kind | Ungrateful and evil | Models mercy for His children (Luke 6:35) | Luke 6:35 |
| Gives rains and fruitful seasons | All nations | Doing good and providing sustenance (Acts 14:17) | Acts 14:17 |
| Desires repentance, not death | The wicked | Shows His delight is in life (Ezekiel 18:23) | Ezekiel 18:23 |
| Is patient | All people | Desiring salvation (2 Peter 3:9) | 2 Peter 3:9 |
Key words
- Hate (śāṭan (Hebrew), miséō (Greek))
- Intense dislike or aversion; in a divine context, can signify opposition to sin, sovereign rejection, or relative preference. · Psalms 11:5
- Abomination (tô‘êbah (Hebrew), bdélugma (Greek))
- Something detestable or abhorrent, particularly in relation to God's holiness and commands. · Proverbs 6:16
- Iniquity ('āwôn (Hebrew))
- Wickedness, perversity, or sin; the state of being crooked or unjust. · Psalms 5:5
- Election (bāḥar (Hebrew), eklogḗ (Greek))
- God's sovereign choice of individuals or a people for His purposes and favor. · Romans 9:11
- Wrath ('ebrâ (Hebrew), orgḗ (Greek))
- Intense anger, often associated with God's righteous judgment against sin. · Romans 9:22
- Mercy (ḥesed (Hebrew), éleos (Greek))
- Compassionate or kind treatment of those whom one has power to punish or harm; God's kindness to the undeserving. · Psalms 145:9
God's hatred in Scripture is never petty spite or uncontrolled rage, but the holy recoil of absolute righteousness against evil and the sovereign right of the Potter over the clay. For the believer, this truth magnifies the astonishing nature of grace: that those who once provoked God's wrath are now loved with an everlasting covenant love in Christ.
44 passages, each cited once.
How the major Christian traditions read this
All historic Christian traditions confess that God is perfectly holy, that he utterly hates sin and iniquity, and that his righteous judgment falls upon unrepentant wickedness, while his goodness sustains all creation (Psalm 5:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; Matthew 5:45).
Catholic
We teach that God is absolute love and goodness, possessing no malice or emotional hatred toward any creature he has made (Wisdom 11:24). As Saint Thomas Aquinas explained, God loves all things in that he wills some good to all, giving them existence and natural gifts. When Scripture says God 'hates' the wicked (Psalm 5:5) or 'hated Esau' (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13), it speaks of his just detestation of the sin that disfigures his good creation and his righteous will to withhold certain supernatural graces or inflict just punishment on those who freely turn from him. God hates no person's being, but only their guilt and their rebellion.
Scripture: Psalms 5:5, Wisdom 11:24, Malachi 1:3, Romans 9:13
Orthodox
In the Orthodox Church, we confess that God is love (1 John 4:8) and desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God hates no human being, for humanity remains his beloved creation. Scriptural language of divine 'hatred' (Psalm 11:5; Malachi 1:3) is an anthropomorphic expression of God's unyielding opposition to sin and death. The divine love is an uncreated light; to those who embrace God, that light is warmth and deification, but to those who stubbornly set their hearts against him, the very presence of his holy love is experienced as a consuming fire and judgment.
Scripture: 1 John 4:8, 1 Timothy 2:4, Psalms 11:5, Malachi 1:3
Lutheran
We teach that God’s holy Law reveals his genuine, terrifying wrath against all sin and unrepentant sinners (Psalm 5:5; Romans 1:18). Yet we hold firmly from the Gospel that God genuinely loved the entire world and sent his Son to redeem every fallen child of Adam (John 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:4). In passages like Romans 9:13 and Malachi 1:2-3, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated' refers to God's sovereign election in Christ, wherein he graciously chooses and establishes his covenant people without human merit. We do not infer an absolute decree of reprobation; God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but calls all to repentance (Ezekiel 33:11).
Scripture: Psalms 5:5, John 3:16, Ezekiel 33:11, Romans 9:13, Romans 1:18
Reformed & Presbyterian
We hold that God's hatred is real, holy, and judicial. Scripture directly says his soul hates the wicked and the worker of iniquity (Psalm 5:5; Psalm 11:5). God does not experience human passions or petty spite, but his pure justice stands opposed to the person united to their sin outside of Christ. In Malachi 1:3 and Romans 9:11-13, 'Esau I hated' expresses God's sovereign, eternal decree of reprobation: before either child had done good or evil, God chose Jacob in electing love and sovereignly passed over Esau, ordaining to leave him in his sin to the praise of God's glorious justice.
Scripture: Psalms 5:5, Psalms 11:5, Malachi 1:3, Romans 9:11-13
Anglican & Episcopal
We confess with Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer that God hatest nothing that he has made and forgives the sins of all who are penitent. Passages that describe God as hating the wicked (Psalm 5:5; Psalm 11:5) express his holy revulsion toward iniquity and the severe reality of his judgment against ungodliness. Following the historic catholic and reformed balance, we read 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated' (Romans 9:13; Malachi 1:2-3) primarily through the lens of God's redemptive covenant purposes, recognizing that while God distributes his special election according to his secret counsel, his mercies are over all his works (Psalm 145:9).
Scripture: Psalms 5:5, Psalms 145:9, Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:13, Psalms 11:5
Baptist
We understand that God's holy nature places him in direct opposition to unrepentant sinners, as Psalm 5:5 and Psalm 11:5 plainly declare that he hates the workers of iniquity. In our tradition, especially among Particular Baptists, Romans 9:13 ('Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated') is understood as sovereign unconditional election: God chose a people for himself out of sheer grace and passed over others (Romans 9:15-18). General Baptists, while agreeing that God's holy wrath burns against wickedness, see 'hatred' of Esau as an idiom for giving him a subordinate covenant standing, affirming that God genuinely offers salvation to every individual (John 3:16).
Scripture: Psalms 5:5, Psalms 11:5, Romans 9:13, John 3:16, Romans 9:15-18
Methodist & Wesleyan
We firmly reject the idea that God has eternally hated or reprobated any individual soul before they were born. God is love (1 John 4:8), and through prevenient grace he provides every human being the genuine capacity to respond to his mercy (Titus 2:11). Scriptural passages speaking of divine hatred against workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5) describe his holy displeasure against persistent, willful wickedness, not a predetermined decree. When Paul cites Malachi regarding Jacob and Esau (Romans 9:13), we understand this as an ancient Semitic idiom denoting choice for a specific historical calling and lineage, not individual eternal damnation, for God desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).
Scripture: 1 John 4:8, Titus 2:11, Psalms 5:5, Romans 9:13, 1 Timothy 2:4
Pentecostal & Charismatic
We emphasize that the heart of God is passionately turned toward the redemption and healing of every person (John 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:9). When Scripture describes God hating evildoers (Psalm 11:5) or hating Esau (Malachi 1:3; Romans 9:13), we understand this through the blazing holiness of the Holy Spirit, who resists the proud and brings conviction of sin. God’s hatred is his intense, personal antagonism against the spiritual darkness that binds and destroys human lives. It is never an arbitrary spite that excludes someone from the reach of the cross; anyone who turns to Jesus will find forgiveness, not wrath (Acts 2:21).
Scripture: John 3:16-17, Psalms 11:5, Romans 9:13, 2 Peter 3:9, Malachi 1:3
Non-denominational & Evangelical
We take the plain sense of Scripture: God is perfectly loving (John 3:16) and perfectly holy, meaning he genuinely hates sin and stands opposed to those who persist in wickedness (Psalm 5:5; Proverbs 6:16-19). In Romans 9:13, where God says, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated,' the text reflects a common biblical contrast meaning 'chosen and not chosen' for the covenant line (Genesis 29:31). God's hatred is not uncontrolled human malice, but his sovereign right to dispense his covenant blessings as he wills, while extending real common grace and the genuine offer of the gospel to everyone who believes (Romans 10:13).
Scripture: John 3:16, Psalms 5:5, Proverbs 6:16-19, Romans 9:13, Genesis 29:31
Where they differ
The nature of divine hatred
- Catholic
- God hates only sin and guilt, never the natural being of any creature.
- Orthodox
- God hates no creature; divine hatred anthropomorphically describes holy love meeting stubborn rebellion.
- Lutheran
- God's holy wrath is real against impenitent sinners, though he loves all people.
- Reformed & Presbyterian
- God holds a real, judicial hatred toward the person of the unrepentant wicked.
- Anglican & Episcopal
- God hates nothing he created, but his holy judgment opposes impenitent evildoers.
- Baptist
- God's holy justice stands in direct opposition to both sin and wicked actors.
- Methodist & Wesleyan
- God possesses no eternal hatred; his wrath is response to chosen, persistent wickedness.
- Pentecostal & Charismatic
- God hates evil and spiritual darkness, fiercely opposing unrepentant rebellion against him.
- Non-denominational & Evangelical
- God hates wickedness and evildoers in their rebellion, distinct from human malice.
Scripture: Psalms 5:5, Psalms 11:5, Wisdom 11:24
Meaning of 'Esau I hated'
- Catholic
- Withholding of special grace and just reprobation based on foreknown sin.
- Orthodox
- Rejection of Edom's lineage and historical role, not an unconditional personal damnation.
- Lutheran
- Sovereign covenant election of Jacob, without positing an eternal decree reprobating Esau.
- Reformed & Presbyterian
- Eternal, unconditional reprobation passing over Esau to display God's holy justice.
- Anglican & Episcopal
- A sovereign choice for covenant purpose, prioritizing Israel over the line of Edom.
- Baptist
- Sovereign election passing over Esau, or a comparative idiom regarding covenant status.
- Methodist & Wesleyan
- A comparative idiom of 'loved less' regarding historical lineage, not eternal salvation.
- Pentecostal & Charismatic
- God choosing the lineage of blessing rather than consigning Esau to wrath unconditionally.
- Non-denominational & Evangelical
- A biblical idiom for choosing Jacob's line and rejecting Esau's covenant role.
Scripture: Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:11-13, Genesis 29:31
Your pastor can tell you where your church stands.
Scripture cited
- Malachi 1:2-3
- Jeremiah 31:3
- Romans 9:10-13
- Malachi 1
- Romans 9:10-16
- Romans 9:6-13
- Psalms 5:5
- Psalms 11:5
- Proverbs 6:16-19
- Matthew 5:43-45
- Deuteronomy 21:15-17
- Genesis 29:30-31